Matthew Ma's fond memories of junior golf at Mamala Bay helped him hold off yet another precocious junior golfer yesterday and win the Hickam Invitational.

Ma, a 25-year-old 'Iolani and Oregon graduate, found himself in a final-round shootout with Campbell High School freshman Rudy Cabalar Jr. It wasn't over until the skinny 14-year-old's birdie putt on the last hole missed by a blade of grass.

"He has nerves of steel," Ma said of Cabalar. "He hits it good and he can putt. And he has that junior golfer mentality — totally fearless."

Ultimately, Ma was too steady. He shot 2-under-par 70 all three days to win by two. Ma seized the lead for good with birdie on the par-5 15th yesterday. The next two holes were an adventure for both, then both found themselves on the 18th green in regulation.

Cabalar was a shot behind and 35 feet away. He and his father chased down his birdie putt, convinced it was a slam dunk.

"About halfway I was thinking this is pretty good," said Ma, who had 20 feet for birdie. "I wouldn't have put it past him because he made putts all day."

Both Cabalars grimaced when the ball stayed out and screamed to a halt 3 feet below the hole.

"I just kind of hit it too hard," said Cabalar, who finished second at his first O'ahu Interscholastic Association Championship. His last victory was B Flight at the Barbers Point Invitational, when he was 12. His game, particularly his putting, has come a long way since.

Cabalar (71—212) would miss the meaningless par putt. Ma's par gave him his first win since the 2005 Army Invitational.

Second-round leader Henry Park (75—214) was third. The Kealakehe senior will play for the University of Hawai'i in the fall, but first he and Cabalar will play in this week's David S. Ishii Foundation/HHSAA State High School Championships at Maui's Ka'anapali Resort.

Ma was the 2002 state runner-up his senior year at 'Iolani. Yesterday, he was a decade older than his closest pursuer and three shots ahead when he made the turn in 3-under.

Cabalar, who eagled the third hole, birdied the 10th and 11th and Ma bogeyed the 12th to fall into a tie. After his birdie at No. 15, Ma hit a sensational flop shot to 3 feet on the next hole.

He had a chance to go two up after Cabalar lipped out his par putt, but Ma's lipped out as well. "A little bit of a tragedy," Ma said, able to smile later.

Cabalar hit the 17th green from the left rough, weaving his approach through the palm trees, and two-putted for par. Ma hit a huge drive and had a 105 yards to the pin. He blasted it 115 when a shot of adrenaline kicked in. He converted a difficult up-and-down, sinking a 7-foot par putt, to keep his advantage going into the 18th.

NOTES

Twelve-year-old Philip Delisi, bumped up to A Flight after opening with rounds of 76-74, won his flight with 79—229. He was 17th overall. Senior Flight champion Phil Anamizu (76—221) was ninth overall. George Yamamoto (73—226) was 14th and won the Super Seniors by 10 shots. Paul Ichimura (77—235) won B Flight.

Matthew Ma (70), Rudy Cabalar Jr. (71) and Joey Sakaue (70) were the only golfers to break par yesterday. Sakaue finished third here last year, behind Alex Ching and Lorens Chan.